Modern vehicle interiors are provided with climate control systems. Central to the climate control system is the HVAC which produces climatized air for distribution into the interior of the vehicle through a variety of ducts. Known arrangements of ducts in climate control systems include a path to the panel registers and to the console which takes place at a distance away from the air outlet of the HVAC. Essentially such systems build a plenum structure into the ducts where the flow can become disorganized. To provide a proper amount of airflow known systems frequently must rely on on-board auxiliary devices to increase airflow.
Furthermore, the duct architecture is constrained by packaging requirements. In the modern vehicle a greater number of components required for safety and comfort of the occupants are included in and adjacent to the instrument panel while at the same time designs of the instrument panel itself put increased pressure on the designer to engineer appropriate duct work. Accordingly, the package needed for ducts often gets compromised. This, together with the new designs of instrument panels that often have more lay back angles, brings about continuous challenges to climate control designers to engineer systems that deliver acceptable levels of vehicle airflow.
As a consequence, console airflow of known systems often ends up being low and the comfort levels of the rear passengers are often not attained.
Accordingly, as in so many areas of vehicle design, an improved method of providing a more efficient arrangement for providing adequate airflow to all vehicle passengers is desired.